Kronos had embedded Vane’s own dagger deep in his chest.
There was a spot of blood on Kronos’ torso, but she knew, deep down, the wound was already healed. Kronos finally looked at her, his expression crazed as he grinned, showing every one of his gleaming white teeth. A strand of brick-red hair fell into his eyes, swirling with both silver ether and gold—the manifestation of life itself.
“You always knew how to make an entrance, Sora.” His voice boomed through the throne room. “Vane, on the other hand, tried to sneak in. Foolish. No one enters my palace unseen or unnoticed. I do admit, his skill with a blade has much improved since I last saw him—ah, was it really a century ago now?”
“One hundred and four years.” Vane’s voice was strained, and Soren curled her hands into fists. As much as she wanted to act now, she must wait. Kronos was inches away from killing him, and he knew it.
“He kept count. How sweet,” Kronos sneered. “It really is all coming back to me now. The way you both screamed. The sight of your blood on my gleaming marble floors. The smell of your burning flesh?—”
Vane jerked, a low snarl escaping him. Kronos laughed and dragged a finger down his cheek. “Careful, there. One slip, and I might just kill you. Then, once she and I are gone forever, you’ll be forced to live…again.”
Soren felt the breath whoosh out of her. He knew their plan, which had to mean someone betrayed them.
“Don’t think so hard on it, Sora,” Kronos mused as the door opened behind her. “A child could have thought of my plan. It’s a shame dear Nyx doesn’t vet her servants more closely.”
She turned to see a man with dark skin and a head of golden curls stride into the room, dragging along a young girl. He let her go, pleading on her knees and kissing his boot-clad feet. His silver gaze flicked down as if she were a mere nuisance.
“Hello, my darling, trouble-making niece,” Sol sneered with a cold smile, plucking a speck of dust from his gold-threaded black tunic.
Behind him, two more principal gods filed in. Bella, the goddess of war, wearing thick leather armor, flashed a sneer Soren’s way. With her high cheekbones, cropped black hair and sharpened nails, she looked like a blade personified. Next to her stood Janis, the god of duality and Juno’s brother. He looked downright bored, tipping his head back and sighing at the broken ceiling.
“Trouble is right,” he muttered. “This will take days to fix.”
Kronos chuckled, shifting so Vane grunted in pain.
Bella snorted softly. “Thatis Vulcan’s heir? Pitiful.”
Soren kept her face blank, a mask for the rising panic inside her as Kronos drawled, “So, here we are again. Your plan was foolish, though I do commend you for getting this far. Now, the game is done, and you and I have a rather lengthy ceremony to attend. Though…you cannot wed me with a living husband. So,” he glanced down to the blade in his hand, “I better remedy that.”
Vane met her eyes across the room.I love you. I’m so sorry. I had to try.
Kronos’ hand jerked, and Soren screamed Vane’s name as the room plunged into an impenetrable darkness. The remaining ceiling and the stained glass windows lining the hall shattered, and a howling whirl of shadows swept up the pieces.
By the time she let the darkness clear, Soren was already running.
At the bottom of the dais, Vane took slow, uneven breaths, holding the dagger in his chest as he bled out. Kronos was crumpled across the throne, his head hanging off the side and his unconscious body limp—for now. She didn’t even look back to see where the other gods were, not as Vane began to choke on his own blood.
She reached him and fell so hard and fast to her knees, they cracked against the marble.
“Sora,” he choked out.Finish Kronos. Leave me.
“We said together, youeejja,” she snapped. “Just breathe and let me focus.”
His eyes fluttered shut, his breaths growing more uneven as she grasped at every hand Death wrapped around him. But Vane was crowded by the pull underneath the surface, where Death lingered.
“Father,” she rasped. “A little help, please?”
She swore she felt Death smile as he eased off, just barely, just enough for her to yank Vane free and shove him into thecorner of one of those locked cells deep inside of her. Vane gasped as she pulled the dagger from his heart, pressing her hand to the wound to staunch the bleeding as it closed.
When he was breathing evenly again and fresh blood stopped coating his lips, she grasped for his hand. He took her offered palm, his grip strong.
“Incredible,” Janis murmured behind her, but she ignored him as Kronos stirred in the throne.
“Vane,” she whispered, turning her palm upward as Kronos pushed himself up, groaning and muttering. “I need you to trust me.”
Behind them, Bella muttered, “Oh,fuck.”
Sol reached for Sora, and she sent a wave of shadow at the gods, throwing them back as Kronos slowly lifted a hand to his forehead. His fingers were stained as he lowered them, coated in ichor the shade of darkest night.
